Apparatus for cleaning the rails of tramways and the like.



, v H. QUERTIBR. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE RAILS 0P TRAMWAYS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

:ZZ/Lgrf/kr fllifamey /7z m nim PATENTED MAR. 13, 1906..

PAIBNTED MAR. 1s, 1906.

' H; QUERTIER.

THE RAILS 0F TRAMWAYS APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. 1905.

AND THEILIKEH- APPARATUS FOR CLEANING 2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

' liar/1:37

' tTNITED S ATES PATENT cation.

HI LA QUEBTI'E'RQ OF EIi E I NEW Z LA Application filed October 9, ,1905. Serial Non 282,060.

To all whom; it may concern: 1

Be itknown that I, 'HILARY'QUERTIER, a

I subject of His Majesty the King of Great upon grooved rails 'lorthe purpose of scrapin t h on sp ngs- Plow' s ap s, ne f en l' bt lsh n the 'pvewn or of & ras..

The apparatus is brought into operation at thewill of an attendant upon the vehicle and is alsoautomaticallystartedwhen an obstacle is strt and automa al y go Q'i t of pe ati n'whi th p es ur f th Ob t cl i m ve I p a r i h r t empl y mm hi is approximately rectangular in plan and having one fits Qnkl .pi t y i u brack t ecur d .baileathth vehicle e. frame extends forwardly and is supported by e c p th mils, are a ra ge 6 11 On each sid o thel r nt Q th fi n i Eac P is fixed upon anupw n yfi e d n p n passes through asocket in the'frarne l d isf iiqrma ly proiect w w b ine th eaded 'pqn l ai 1 sp T p ow trajls "behind the axis oftsaid spindle, 'wh ch bing free to swivel permits the plow to adai t'it el 'td wive tit-the "an The ploint adapted to clear the railasffrearwardly-diverging Wings wh ch t row the l a dima ri to h side; S aidf anie also carries a pair of bristle 1 19; wireib ivslls l folfi sq iei said'brushs ea hharing fa P Ql '9 i1' g' Ort as I fitintothefrail-groova The axle which car-j is said br lsh -wti bly.m m 'bearingsat thelower ends of vertical spindles,

, "Whicha a at o vet mo ment in,

thefrarne. spring threaded upon each of Ward @1168 atl 18: em ye i connection with ane ectri'cal railway system, .anelectr c motor ls carr ed upon the .brushfor the purpose of revolving the same,

, p nio wh eh sc ne dew. ca h a,

specification of Letters Patent;

APPARATUS FOR CLEANINQ '[HEV RAILS QFTRAMWAYS AND THE LIKE},

Patented. March 13,

sprocket-wheel mounted upon a spindle carried'in' brackets projecting downwardly from gthe end, of the frame ofthe apparatus and 5 having 'a tooth-pinion adaptedto gear with a tooth 'whe'el fixed upon the axle, which carries a pair of traveling'wheels of the vehicle.-

brushes are clear ofthe round and do not i'c' volve. Itthe front of t e apparatus encounters an obstacle, the frameis turned upon its pivot, the toothwheel and pinion are brought into. gear, and the brushes revolved. The fra'rnemayalso be depressed by a treadleunder control ofthe attendant of'theyehiole and adapted when pressure exerted uponjit to compress a "spring upon the top of the fraine." For the same purposel may employ ahand-wheel 'totu'rn ascrew; and thereby compress a'spring which presses upon the end of the/frame. l I

'lteferring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of mam-fear fitted with the invention; Fi' 2, a plan oithe cleaner j Fig. 3, a plan 0% the cleaner; Fig.4, an end elevation of aplow and itscon'nections';

Fig. -5,fan-en'd elevation ofthe'l'rarneof a cleaner and its operating mechanism, and Fig. 6, an endele'vationof the cleaner, Fig.7, a plan of a -friction wheel and pinion, and FigfiS', -a side elevation of a-plow. Referring tothe' drawings, the -fran e 1 is approximately rectangular in plan, as" shown in Figs; 2 and 3,-and-is pivoted at its rear'eiid by. pins 2 and 3 to brackets land '5, secured beneath" the vehicle 6. The 'frameextend's forwardly and is 'supported from the vehicle upon springs 7 and ,8, (see Fig. 5,) which are threadedupon bolts 9 and '10, attached" to the said-frame and rest'u'ponthe' top of the frame 11' of the vehicle 6, the. s'prings"-being retained on the bolts by nuts Band. 13. Plows'or scrapers 14 and'15 are arrangedone upon each side of the-front of the frame and immediately above the rails. The plows are "fined upon upwardly-extending spindles" "16 and 17, which pass through sockets 18"and 19in" the frame and are normally-forced downward by springs20 01 21, threaded on the spindles 1'6: and 17. Washers 22312 0123 and pins 24 'and'25 are provided upon the upper ends of the'lspindles to retain the spindles their sockets'aiter the spi ihgshave IIO forced them into their lowest position. The

. plows have points 26 and 27 adapted to scrape dirt out of the rail-grooves and have rearwardly-diverging wings 28 and 29, which throw the cleared material to each side. The frame also carries a pair of bristle or wire brushes 30 and 31, one for each rail, said brushes each having a projecting portion 32, adapted to fit into the said groove. The axle 33, which carries said brushes, is revolubly mounted in bearings 34 and 35 at the lower ends of vertical spindles 36 and 37, which are capable of vertical movement in sockets 38 and 39, fixed to the frame 1. Springs 40 and 41 upon said spindles (see Fig. 6) normally press the axle downward. The axle 33 has a sprocket-pinion 42, which is connected by a chain 43, a sprocket-wheel 44, mounted upon a spindle 45, carried in a bracket 46, projecting downwardly from the frame 1, and having a tooth-pinion 47, adapted to gear with a tooth-wheel 48, fixed upon the axle 49, which carries a pair of traveling wheels and 51 of the vehicle 6. The position of the pivotpins 2 and 3 is such that when the frame is lifted by the springs 7 and 8 the tooth-pinion 47 is withdrawn from gearing with the toothwheel 48 and the brushes 30 and 31 are raised from the ground and do not revolve. If the front of the apparatus encounters an obstacle, the frame 1 is turned upon its pivotpins 2 and 3, the tooth-wheel 48 and pinion 47 are brought into gear, and the brushes 30 and 31 revolved. The frame 1 may also be depressed by a treadle 52 (see Figs. 1 and 5) under the control of the attendant of the vehicle, the spindle 53 of the said treadle passing through a guide'bracket 54, fixed to the vehicle, and having its lower part inserted into a coil-spring 55, the bottom of which rests upon a bracket 56, secured to the frame 1 by bolts 57. When pressure is exerted upon the treadle 52, the frame 1 is depressed. For the same purpose I may employ a screw 58 and hand-wheel 59, the screw passing through a nut 60, fixed to any convenient part of the vehicle, and having its end resting in a cup-shaped bracket 61, attached to the frame 1 by bolts 62.

When the apparatus is employed in connection with an electrical railway system, the before-mentioned gear for driving the brushes is dispensed with, and an electric motor 63 (see Figs. 3 and 6) is carried on a bar 64, fixed by bolts 65 to the bearings 34 and 35 of the brush-axle 33, to which it is fitted for the purpose of revolving the same, current being conveyed to said motor through a switchbar 66, integral with the lever 67 and pivoted upon a pin 68 (shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6) under control of the attendant. When the lever is depressed, the bar 66 slides upon the terminals 69 and 70 and closes the circuit. When the frame 1 is depressed by coming into contact with an obstacle, the

switch-bar 66 is operated to start the motor by a rod 71, attached at one end to a bracket 72, fixed to the frame 1, and at the other end to the lever 67 by a bolt 72 and wing-nut 73. The lever has a slot 74, whereby the stroke of the bar 66 may be adjusted.

The brushes and plows may be used simultaneously, or the plows may be dismounted and the brushes used alone.

In Fig. 7 is shown friction-gear comprising a friction-pinion 75 and a friction-wheel 75, which may be used instead of the toothpinion 47 and tooth-wheel 48.

In Fig. 8 the plow 9 is shown pivoted to the spindle 16 by apin 76, and a spring 77, thread ed upon a bolt 78, bent into a curve with the pin 76 as its center, normally tends to keep the plow in a horizontal position. Upon meeting an obstruction the spring yields and allows the plow to turn upon its pivot.

The brushes revolve in a direction to throw the dirt forwardly of the vehicle, and direct boxes 79 and 80, carried by brackets 81 and 82, secured to the frame 1, catch the dirt as it is thrown forwardly.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Apparatus for the purpose indicated, composin in combination, a frame pivoted at one end beneath a vehicle, bolts attached to the frame, springs threaded upon the bolts between the nuts and the frame of the vehicle and supporting the front end of the frame, means for depressing the frame, brackets secured to the front of the frame, swiveling stems fitting the brackets, plows fixed to the stems and havin points entering the rail-grooves, bearings fitted to the frame, an axle journaled in the bearings, brushes fixed upon the ends of the axle, and means for revolving the axle, substantially as set forth.

2. Apparatus for the purpose indicated, in combination, a frame pivoted at one end beneath avehicle, bolts attached to the frame, springs threaded upon the bolts between the nuts thereof and the frame of the vehicle and supporting the front end of the frame, a treadle having astem, a spring threaded upon the lower part of the stem, a bracket secured to the frame and adapted to receive the end of the treadle-spring, a screw, a nut receiving the screw and fixed to the vehicle, a cupshaped bracket fixed to the frame and adapted to receive the end of the screw, swiveling plows attached to the front of the frame, bearings fitted to the frame, an axle j ournaled in the bearings, brushes fixed upon the ends of the axle, and means for revolving the axle, substantially as set forth.

3. Apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising in combination, a frame pivoted at one end beneath a vehicle, bolts attached to the frame, springs threaded upon the bolts between the nuts thereof and the frame of the vehicle, and supporting the front end of the frame, means for depressing the frame, brackets secured to the front of the-frame, swiveling stems fittin' the brackets,'plows fixed to' the'stems an having points. entering the rail-grooves, bearings fitted to the frame, an axle journaled inthe bearings, brushes fixed upon the ends of the axle, a sprocket-pinion secured upon the axle, a bracket fixed to the frame, a spindle journaled in the bracket, a sprocket-wheel fixed upon a the spindle, a sprocket-chain connecting the sprocket-pinion and sprocket-wheelffitoothpinion secured upon the spindle, and a toothwheel secured upon the carrying-axle of the" vehicle and" gearing withthe tooth pinion when the frame is depressed, substantially as set forth.

4. Apparatus for the purpose indicated comprisin in combination, a frame pivoted at one en beneath a vehicle, bolts attached to the frame, springs threaded upon the bolts between the nuts thereof and the frame of the vehicle and supporting the front endof the frame, means for depressin the frame,

brackets secured to the front 0 the frame, swiveling-stems fitting the brackets, plows In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, this 1st day of September, 1905, in the presence of two witnesses. I g HILARY QUERTIER.-

Witnesses: H. W. LAOKISAOK, S. P. MERAIM. 

